Auburn has won five in a row, against somewhat suspect competition, after losing its opener to Clemson, and has ascended to 10th in the national rankings. LSU won a huge game last weekend against Florida, erasing the sting of a home loss to Troy two weekends ago but still with some struggles.
Both teams are still in the hunt in the SEC West, but the loser this weekend could face a real uphill battle.
Auburn (5-1, 3-0) is one of a number of SEC teams living on defense, allowing more than 14 points just once this season, giving up 23 to Ole Miss, though two scores came in the fourth quarter well after the outcome was decided. Auburn ranks sixth in the country in scoring defense and among the top 25 against both the pass and the run.
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| Auburn's Kerryon Johnson leads the nation with 12 touchdowns (SEC Country) |
Auburn coach Gus Malzahn knows that LSU will be brimming with confidence, so his team will need to stay on task if it wants to continue on its quest for an SEC West title.
"Our message has been each week to get better, and the last three weeks I feel like we’ve done that," Malzahn said. "We are going to have to continue to do that on the road at LSU.”
Malzahn wants to keep LSU off balance, and unlike Florida has the parts to do it.
Jarrett Stidham has steadily improved at quarterback, ranking among the nation's top 10 in passing efficiency and completing over 71 percent of his passes. Stidham has gone three straight games without an interception, and continued strong play from him will keep the Tigers offense humming.
“He’s getting better," Malzahn said. "You can tell he’s getting more comfortable and more confidence and he’s playing at a high level and we’ve just got to keep building upon that.”
Kerryon Johnson isn't typically talked about as one of the best running backs in the SEC, but with a nation's best 12 touchdowns and a nearly six yards per carry average, maybe he should be. Johnson hasn't been healthy for much of the season, but Malzahn has seen signs that he's almost all the way back.
“If you look at the last three weeks, you could tell he hasn’t been 100 percent," the coach said. "At Missouri, he had a couple chances to hit some seams and turn on the gas. He didn’t want to re-pull his hamstring, so he geared it down. Against Mississippi State, you saw him break and he geared it down. Last week when he broke, he was able to turn it loose. You can see that he is getting healthier. Last week he wasn’t quite 100 percent, but he was close. Our goal this week is to have him 100 percent. We will be very smart with him in practice. He is playing at a very high level and when he is on the field, he can do a lot of different things.”
LSU didn't dazzle offensively against the Gators, but showed signs of improvement by converting nearly 50 percent on third down, not turning the ball over and rushing for over 200 yards with banged up running backs, against one of the best front sevens in the conference.
The Tigers found a way to get it done, and there is an overwhelming belief that all of the turmoil surrounding the program may have just brought the team closer together.
"It was every ounce of energy, every person in the building gave it," LSU coach Ed Orgeron said. "And that's what it takes. And our mindset was of that. And we finally galvanized as a team. I don't think before we were playing as a team. I think we galvanized as a staff. I think that was important.
"We had better practices. And, again, it came down to one point. Let's face it. The kicker missed an extra point. You know what I'm saying? That's what happened. We're in the SEC. It's very physical. When we were up 17-3, I wish we could have kept that lead and kept sustaining. But we let them get back in with some drives, stopped ourselves with some drives. But I believe that every game is going to have to be: We win as a football team, not one unit or the other."
Guice has not rushed for over 100 yards since early September but showed moments last week where he had that familiar explosion through the hole. He and Williams will need to play well if LSU is to dictate to Auburn, because LSU ranks below 40th nationally in most important offensive categories.
Defense has long been LSU's calling card, and this year is no different. The Tigers are seventh nationally in sacks, an area where Auburn has been weak, ranking 122nd in protecting the quarterback.
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| LSU's Arden Key will be a focal point for the Tigers D (Associated Press) |
That means Herron and Lawrence and Arden Key, who has yet to really get it going this season, could be ready to wreak havoc.
Auburn begins a tricky part of its schedule, with this being the first of three straight road games. The Tigers won't play at home again until Nov. 11, when Georgia comes to town.
"The meat of our schedule is coming up," Malzahn said.
He hopes that his team will continue to worry about its own business, and pay no attention to what's going on outside of the program.
“Whether it is four weeks ago or whether it is today, our team stays pretty insulated," Malzahn said. "We don’t worry about anyone else’s expectations or what they think outside. It is just about us getting better. We are playing better. I told our team we have not arrived and that I will let them know when we arrive."
It is a rare 3:30 p.m. kickoff at Tiger Stadium and will change the routine for LSU, which is more accustomed to nighttime kickoffs. A night game in Baton Rouge is unlike anything else in the country, but Orgeron is imploring fans to bring that after dark mindset to the afternoon.
"We're going to need them," Orgeron said. "And there's a lot of things that we don't like that we have to do in life. So hopefully they can get up a little earlier, put a little something in their coffee, to make them come up and let's go."
Orgeron noticed growth from his team in the days leading up to the Florida contest. In previous games, there was finger pointing and hanging teammates out to dry, including members of the coaching staff.
With the season threatening to spiral out of control, LSU banded together.
"It's a testament that we believed in each other last week," Oregeron explained. "Nobody blinked. I think the staff came together more last week than any week. The team came together. The leadership evolved. Through adversity, we became stronger. We felt that going into the game. Our guys say: We are not getting on this plane unless we win the game. That was new. That was a great mindset. The meetings, the intensity, the detail all week, when your back's against the wall, the way our guys responded.
"I need to lead this team better. And although we had success, we have to deal with this thing, and we have to put it to bed coming on 5:00, because we've got a very tough opponent coming. So we have another challenge ahead."
The visitor in this series has lost 15 of the last 17 contests, with LSU winning the last two in Baton Rouge by double digits.
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